


I can hide from friends but I cannot hide from you

by emptyskies



Category: Bandom, Fall Out Boy
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 12:18:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17223965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emptyskies/pseuds/emptyskies
Summary: In which Pete runs into his ex and makes a spur of the moment decision.





	I can hide from friends but I cannot hide from you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ermengarde](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ermengarde/gifts).



> In truth this is by far not my best work as I haven't worked on anything bandom related in quite a while, but I tried and I sincerely hope the recipient enjoys it. I know I'll end up rewriting this sometime soon in the near future as the recipient of this deserved better and I know I could write better but until then, sorry in advance for how bad this is and if the characters are OOC. 
> 
> Title is from It's Okay, I Wouldn't Remember Me Either by Crywank.
> 
> Also I'd like to add although what I've written so far holds on its own, I plan to add more to this tomorrow. If everything goes to plan this part of the note will never see the light of day but just in case.

He felt heavy, a leaden ball dropped into his gut weighing him down and a million thoughts swirling through his head simultaneously, all worse than the last and panic filled his insides. Mikey Way was here. Why, of all the places he could possibly be in the world tonight, would he be here? He felt sick to his stomach at the very thought, at the very sight of him, and how he still made Pete's insides feel like they were on fire.

It'd been nearly three months since Warped, three months since they'd last seen each other and they had said goodbye for good; the end of summer signalling the end of all things. Of good things come to pass. He'd taken it a little harder than he should've, truth be told. After all they'd been little more than friends and little less than lovers, caught somewhere in the middle of a rock and a hard place, but the knowledge did nothing to lessen it's hold on him.

Pete couldn't tear his eyes away from him, the sight for sore eyes that he was. It's been a while since they'd last seen each other and even longer since they had actually spoken, part of it, he knew well, was his fault as always making things awkward. He just couldn't disconnect, and it'd shone through each and every time. Mikey- Well Mikey looked good, he always did, but there was something about him. Something different.

Their eyes met for a moment and Pete stumbled back, startled, right into Andy. "Hey!"

"Sorry, I-" Pete took a shuddering breath and as he turned to face him, caught sight of Patrick sitting in a booth towards the back of the bar. "I've got to go."

He shoved his way through the crowd, only able to give muttered apologies to those who shouted indignantly in response. His head had begun to ache significantly as he approached the table and attempted futilely to keep it all beneath the surface, his body shaking minisculely as he used the rickety table to keep himself upright while he caught his breath. He needed to get himself together. Mikey had surely seen him come this way, no doubt he'd follow, and as oblivious as he could be there was no way he wouldn't notice this.

"Pete, what's wrong?" Pete looked back up at Patrick with wide eyes, having forgotten momentarily where he was. He shook his head and put his finger up to keep him quiet. Patrick frowned, his lips going thin and his dissatisfaction evident as he tapped his fingers against the glass in his hand impatiently.

"I need your help." Pete said finally, his voice barely a whisper. He surveyed the crowd of people near them warily. "No time to explain."

He doesn't wait for a response; can't, there isn't any time for it and he's not too sure he'd be able to comprehend what Patrick would have to say anyhow. His mind felt like a jumbled up mess and he didn't know how to fix it, not now. He squeezed himself into the booth beside Patrick, their sides pressed together tight, all that what little room there was to be had would allow. His arm around the back of Patrick's shoulders eased the tension, just a bit, and as natural as it felt to him he hoped it looked the same. That's what it was about after all. No sooner than he had, he spotted Gabe and Mikey emerging from the crowd.

Pete swallowed hard and nodded his head in recognition, unable to keep himself from tensing up completely. "Gabe, Mikey."

"We were wondering where you ran off to. Now I see." Gabe grinned at them. Had his smile always looked so sharklike? He dropped onto the bench on the opposite side of theirs, long limbs splaying every which way. "You two look awful cozy."

"You haven't heard then." He huffed out a laugh," Me and Patrick are dating."

Beside him, Patrick went tense. "Pete, wha-" Pete shushed him, muttering under his breath just audible enough for Patrick to hear- or so he hoped. "Just go with it."

He made the faintest noise of protest and for a moment Pete is worried he'll say something, break the silence and ruin the illusion, the idea that he had moved on. But nothing came. Instead Mikey looked up from his sidekick, his interest seemingly peaked. No easy feat, all aspects considered. "Really."

"Yep. Coming up on two months, right Pattycake?"

"Oh, right?" He sounded unsure, stumbling over his words as if he hadn't really considered them but it's an answer nonetheless and for that Pete could kiss him. In truth he hadn't expected him to play along as much as he had, with as disapproving Patrick could be about the foolish things he did and no other motivation than Pete's body pressed close to his- if that even counted as such. He'd wondered for a time if it might be possible but then others came along; Mikey came along and he had no space of mind for anyone else. Not for the What If's.

Gabe sat forward, elbows on the table and his hands clasped together under his chin. "I'm really, truly hurt. Why haven't I heard?"

"We've been trying to keep it on the down low, you know? You know how the fans can get. It's pretty fucking scary and poor Patrick here isn't ready to be harassed by anyone but me yet." Pete nodded his head, desperately trying to keep a straight face as he caught sight of Mikey staring Patrick down like he could see into the deepest depths of his soul and had in turn found something particularly foul.

Gabe nodded his head along with Pete's response, seemingly taking the words into consideration. "Fair point. You should read what they write about us, it's a real trip. Though I never took you for a scaredy cat, Pattycake."

"I'm not-"

Gabe waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry we'll keep your secret." He turned to look up at Mikey who only spared him a passing glance, "Right, Mikey Way?"

"Right." Mikey reluctantly looked away from Patrick as his sidekick dinged. Pete gave Patrick a gentle squeeze of reassurance around the shoulders as he let out a weighty sigh of relief. "Got to go. Frank's stuck in the back room of the bus again. You'd think he'd know that the door sticks after the first four times."

He smiled in spite of himself, tinging on the edge of too wide and his face hurt from it. "Too bad."

"I'm with you, Mikey Way. I'm stuck on you like glue." Gabe smirked, bounding up to his feet. "See you lovebirds around."

As they disappeared into the crowd, Pete let out a sigh and removed his arm from around Patrick's shoulders. It ached- his whole body did really- and felt weak as he stretched it out. He turned to Patrick, grinning fondly. "You're th-"

Patrick smacked him in the arm. Pete shrunk back, a frown forming in the place of the smile that had just been there. "Wah, ow!" Patrick smacked him again and he recoiled back even further, falling out of the booth and onto the hard concrete floor below. He propped himself up on his elbows and looked up at Patrick incredulously.

"What was that, Pete?"

"I can explain. I-" He scowled and cautiously rose to his feet," You didn't have to hit me."

Patrick rolled his eyes at him and began to tap his fingers against the table. Pete took a seat on the other side of the booth and frowned as he moved further in and away from Patrick. "Pete."

"Okay!" He threw his hands up in defeat and stuffed them in his pockets. "I just- I panicked."

Patrick raised an eyebrow and took a sip of his drink. "You panicked and the first thing that came to mind was to pretend to date me?"

"I don't know, dude. I just-" Pete sighed, rubbing his palms over closed eyes, "I didn't want him to know I'm not over him."

For several long moments Patrick said nothing and in the absence the reappearance of his headache became even more apparent. Whatever was going through Patrick's head, he wished he'd just come out with it. It'd been a long night, at least it felt like it anyhow, and he wanted to get out of here. Maybe it was just running into Mikey but he felt unwelcome and it was too much. All too much.

"You should work on that."

Pete took a deep breath and attempted a smile but it came out more of a grimace. "Yeah. I'm going to get out of here, man. Tired 'n shit. You know how it is."

Patrick watched him speculatively as he moved to the end of the booth and stood, wavering on his feet slightly. "Yeah, sure. See you at the venue?"

Pete could only nod, keys clenched tightly in his hand as he turned away and began to walk towards the exit in the back. He could feel Patrick's eyes on him as he opened the door and the winter air rushed over him, the bitter cold dulling his senses. He hadn't fooled Patrick with his hasty departure, wouldn't have fooled anybody really but that was beside the point. Patrick knew him better than that, could see right through him. There would be a talk later, no doubt, when he could pin him down to one place and get him to talk about the things he seldom said but wrote out in the most inelegant ways possible.

Somehow he couldn't find it in himself to care. Not right now.

 

 


End file.
